Vegetarian Gluten Free Goat Cheese Pear Endive Boats
These elegant little bites are proof that appetizers can be stunning without a single complicated step. Crisp Belgian endive leaves act as natural cups, cradling creamy goat cheese, sweet ripe pear, and those irresistible maple-glazed candied walnuts you'll want to snack on straight from the parchment. A drizzle of honey and a scatter of fresh thyme tie everything together with a flavor combination that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy. Because every ingredient here is naturally gluten-free, there's no need to swap anything out or second-guess a label — it just works as written. The lemon juice tossed with the pear slices is a small but smart touch that keeps everything looking as fresh as it tastes. These are the kind of appetizers that disappear from the platter before you've even finished arranging them, so consider doubling the batch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the boats
- 2 heads belgian endive
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the candied walnuts
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
For serving
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the walnut halves and maple syrup, stirring to coat, and cook for 3–4 minutes, watching closely, until the syrup thickens and the walnuts are glossy and lightly toasted. Sprinkle with the fine salt, transfer to a piece of parchment paper, and spread into a single layer to cool completely, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Separate the endive leaves and select the 16–18 largest, most cup-shaped leaves for the boats. Arrange them in a single layer on a serving platter.
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